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To paraphrase another member on this forum - replacing body parts is not cheap.
No, and dental is the worst because insurance coverage is so limited. For those who have dental insurance, the annual limit is between $1000 and $2500. A root canal and crown could easily cost close to $2k.
I spent $1800 on a root canal and a porcelain crown for one of my upper front teeth back in 2008. In 2010, I was in a car accident and the airbag knocked that tooth/crown loose. In early 2011, I had it removed and replaced by a bridge that spans the two teeth on either side (which were ground down to accommodate the bridge) and effectively replaces three teeth. It looks perfect but it cost $3800!
I've spent over $25k on my mouth in the last 5-6 years.....not fun!
No, and dental is the worst because insurance coverage is so limited. For those who have dental insurance, the annual limit is between $1000 and $2500. A root canal and crown could easily cost close to $2k.
I spent $1800 on a root canal and a porcelain crown for one of my upper front teeth back in 2008. In 2010, I was in a car accident and the airbag knocked that tooth/crown loose. In early 2011, I had it removed and replaced by a bridge that spans the two teeth on either side (which were ground down to accommodate the bridge) and effectively replaces three teeth. It looks perfect but it cost $3800!
I've spent over $25k on my mouth in the last 5-6 years.....not fun!
Welcome to my world.......
I do wish there were better insurance options for dental work. My "insurance" is basically one of those "discounted" plans, which is basically almost like nothing at all, sad to say.
I do wish there were better insurance options for dental work. My "insurance" is basically one of those "discounted" plans, which is basically almost like nothing at all, sad to say.
If someone ruins their liver with abuse of alcohol, Medicare will pay.
If someone ruins their lungs with abuse of tobacco, Medicare will pay.
If someone ruins their heart and arteries with cholesterol, Medicare will pay.
Medicare won't help on teeth so a good dental insurance plan would be great for millions of people.
If someone ruins their liver with abuse of alcohol, Medicare will pay.
If someone ruins their lungs with abuse of tobacco, Medicare will pay.
If someone ruins their heart and arteries with cholesterol, Medicare will pay.
Medicare won't help on teeth so a good dental insurance plan would be great for millions of people.
A little off topic, buy why should the government (read - other people's tax dollars) pay for ANY treatment that is needed a result of your own neglect?
A little off topic, buy why should the government (read - other people's tax dollars) pay for ANY treatment that is needed a result of your own neglect?
The need for major dental work is not always due to neglect. Trauma (such a car or biking accident), lack of dental care as a child (which would be neglect of one's parents) and poor quality dental care in the past are just a few of the reasons. My dentist and I have also discussed the fact that some people simply have more bacteria in their mouth and even hyper-vigilant hygiene (such as brushing and flossing 3-4x daily, like I do) can only slow down the damage, not prevent it altogether.
I understand your argument, why should taxpayer funds be used to treat any condition due to the neglect and/or irresponsibility an individual. We know that smoking causes lung cancer, but people continue to smoke. We know how HIV is transmitted, but new cases are diagnosed every day....the list goes on....
But I also think it would be very difficult to draw 'a line the sand' to determine what would or would not be covered by Medicare/Medicaid. My grandmother had severe COPD, but never smoked a day in her life. My dad's side of the family has high cholesterol, and I'm slowly inching toward it, despite the fact that I eat very 'heart healthy' (lean poultry and fish are the only meats I eat). I one close friend and several other acquaintances that are HIV positive. My friend contracted it 20+ years ago (due to unprotected sex) but one of the others I mentioned is a woman whose cheating (bisexual) husband gave it to her.
Which of those people should or shouldn't get treatment from a government-funded insurance program???
A final thought on the matter...prison inmates receive dental care in addition to medical care on the taxypayer's dime. It's sad (and by 'sad' I mean f***ed up!) that a murderer, child molester or any other degenerate low-life would get dental care, but not a poor old woman who paid taxes all of her life.
I do wish there were better insurance options for dental work. My "insurance" is basically one of those "discounted" plans, which is basically almost like nothing at all, sad to say.
The reason that dental insurance covers so little is because the annual benefits caps were established in the 70s and 80s and have never been adjusted. But you got a lot more dental care for $1k in 1980 than you would now 31 years later. Adjusted for inflation, $1 in 1980 is equivalent to $2.93 today. So a plan with a $1k annual maximum should be about $3k or $1500 should be $4500 just to keep pace with inflation. That hasn't happened.
Most dental plans are also designed to discourage the insured from actually using the benefits. 50% copays are common on root canals and crowns, so a $2k dentist bill would require $1k out of pocket and the plan would pay $1k. The result is that very few policyholders actually use their full benefits every year. Dental and Vision 'insurance' are ridiculously profitable for the companies that sell them. They're sort of like the personal insurance world's equivalent to an Extended Auto Warranty.
BTW, i'm in the same boat with a 'discount plan' instead of actual dental insurance. I get the same rate as Aetna policyholders but I only pay $100/year for my discount plan.
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